Testosterone drives men towards premium products, study finds

Camera IconGive men a dose of testosterone and they'll opt for high status brands over brands of a similar quality, according to study by international scientists.Picture: Supplied

Men with boosted testosterone levels are more likely to prefer “status-enhancing” luxury items including pricey clothes and watches, according to new research out of the US.

Inspired by male animals which gain a testosterone boost during mating season, University of Pennsylvania researchers wanted to see if a similar increase in humans would lead men to show a “stronger preference towards goods that promote their social rank”.

Researchers recruited 243 male volunteers between 18 and 55 years of age for the study.

Half of them were given a dose of testosterone in the form of a gel, with the other 50 per cent offered a placebo.

Participants were then presented with pairs of brand-name products perceived to be similar in quality but different in status and then asked to indicate which they preferred.

Researchers found that testosterone-dosed men picked items perceived to convey higher status compared to those of similar quality but lower status.

The effect increased when the item was accompanied by advert-style text promoting the products as status-enhancers.

“Specifically, we measured participants’ attitudes towards products that were positioned either as status-enhancing, power-enhancing, or high in quality,” the team wrote in their paper.

“The results confirmed our hypothesis.

“We found that participants who received testosterone showed greater preference for brands that were associated with higher social rank, and that (the hormone) increased positive attitudes towards goods that were positioned as status-enhancing but not those positioned as ... high in quality.”

Researchers concluded that testosterone elevates the desire in men to promote their social status through “economic consumption”.